Christmas was approaching and I was itching to get out of this hell hole and get home to see Gran and Trevor.

I was, however, going to miss Draco, and not to mention worry for him when I discovered he was returning to the Manor.

"I'll be fine," he assured me when I expressed my fear at his close proximity to Voldemort. "All I need to do is keep my head down and he may not even look in my direction. At least I'll be able to see if mother is okay."

He tightened his arms around me, kissing my neck and I sighed, leaning my head back on his shoulder as water sloshed around us.

We were in the prefects bathroom taking a soothing bubble bath together.

"Your arms," Draco said, looking down at the smattering of purple bruises on both sides of my upper arms, caressing the back of his fingers over them with such tenderness. "Shit, was that me?"

In order for us to meet up, Draco had to roughly drag me around the castle to keep up the facade that he was 'punishing' me. And he didn't hold back, even when we were safely locked up in the chamber alone we would find ourselves continuing with the act, resulting in extremely rough and angry love making.

It had almost become like some kind of twisted foreplay for us. One time in Muggle Studies, Draco and I were exchanging longing, hungry looks across the classroom, and I found myself wanting him so badly that I loudly interrupted Alecto Carrow's lecture on 'how to spot a filthy Mudblood' to ask how much Muggle blood she and her brother had. It earned me a sharp painful slap across the face before she ordered Draco to take me down to the dungeons.

He couldn't drag me down there fast enough, my face still red and stinging from the slap as he slammed me face down over the desk and took me roughly from behind; angrily yanking my hair back in his fists. A string of profanities hissed from his lips as he rammed into me hard and fast whilst I cried out in a mixture of pain and ecstasy.

Yet, afterwards, he was always so gentle and tender with me, kissing my every wound, my every scar; his eyes swimming in sadness as he looked at me as though I were made of the most delicate china.

"Is there something wrong with us?" I asked looking up at Draco as he continued to stroke my bruises. "I feel like this isn't very normal."

"None of this is normal," Draco sighed. "We're two kids in the middle of a war being made to fight on opposite sides. No wonder our sex life is fucked up."

"Don't say that," I whispered, closing my eyes as a wave of fear and sadness engulfed me.

"Don't say what?" he asked confused. "That we have a fucked up sex life?"

"No, that we're on opposite sides." I said sadly. "I can't bear to think that. It... it frightens me."

"Fuck Neve, I'm always on your side, you know that. But let's not pretend that I'm not essentially here to inflict torture on you if you show any signs of opposing the Dark Lord."

"And I'll never stop." I said defiantly, hating the way he called Voldemort by that name.

"I bloody know that," he groaned, "it's why I wake up every morning fearful that I won't be there to protect you when the shit inevitably hits the fan."

"I'm sorry, I really am," I said tilting my head up to kiss the underside of his chin.

I felt his throat vibrate as he hummed out a low, longing groan. He lifted me up off his lap and turned me around so that I was now straddling him face to face.

"If the sex is too much, we can stop, Neve," he said, cupping my face in his hands. "I can be gentler. You know the last thing I want to do is hurt you if you don't like it."

"But I do, I like it a lot. And that's what scares me; I'm not normal."

"No, you're amazing. And who wants normal anyway?" he chuckled softly, chastely brushing his lips against mine, "not me, that's for sure."

He kissed me again, this time more firmly, clasping his hands through my wet hair. I could feel his growing hardness between us.

And then, as if proving he didn't always have to be rough, he made tender love to me right there in the bath.

It was nice.

*****

It seemed the whole school was going home for Christmas; the idea of pulling a cracker over a turkey with Snape obviously putting everyone off from staying on.

"I've got some great plans for when we return after Christmas," I said enthusiastically to Ginny, Luna and Seamus on the train journey home. "I thought we could paint Dumbledore's Army, Still Recruiting in big red letters across the wall opposite Snape's office. Really get that message out there that we won't back down. And Luna, maybe you can ask your dad to print something in the Quibbler about how spirit in Hogwarts will not be broken; maybe even put in a message out to Harry that we are all rooting for him."

"Look Neve," Seamus chuckled nervously as he scratched the back of his neck. "Isn't this all a bit risk-"

"NEVER!" I cried, pumping my fist angrily in the air. "We need to keep up morale, Seamus. We need to give the people hope otherwise when the time comes we will be too trodden down to fight."

As all three of them looked at me, I could see respect in their faces.

"I'm sure Daddy will be more than happy to print that, Neve," Luna beamed at me. "He fully supports Harry, as you know. I shall just make sure it won't interfere with his article about the Garden Gnome Protection Committee. They're holding the annual Yuletide picnic at our house this year. You're all welcome to attend, of course."

"That sounds... um- lovely," Ginny said as we exchanged withered looks.

"Me Mam hates the rotten devils," Seamus said, "says they're nowt good for anything but putting in potato pie."

Before Luna could reply, the train suddenly came to a juddering stop, causing yelps of surprise to sound up and down the train as people, including me, toppled off their seats.

"What's going on?" I asked, whipping my head around as I staggered back to my feet.

"Death Eaters," Ginny gulped, looking out of the window. "Two bloody massive ones and all."

We all looked fearfully at one another. Although we were used to the presence of Death Eaters in the school, there was something about this that rang alarm bells.

And we were correct to be concerned.

They came into our compartment and immediately grabbed Luna.

"Get off her you bastards!" I screamed, trying to claw at them, forgetting I was a witch with a wand.

"Get back, girl," the largest Death Eater growled. "This does not concern you."

But I wouldn't quit. Whilst Ginny and Seamus remained seated in shock, I followed the Death Eaters out as they dragged a kicking and screaming Luna down the corridor.

"LET HER GO!" I bellowed hitting their backs as hard as I could whilst they struggled to contain their hold on Luna.

"I said back off missy, unless you want us to take you too," the same Death Eater snarled in my face.

But it was clear they were in no position to take on me as well as Luna who was still putting up a good fight.

"Screw this," the second one said, as I pelted them both harder with my fists. "We'll just Stun them and take them both."

And then someone grabbed me from behind, pulling me forcibly back.

"There's no need," Draco hissed, clamping his arms tightly around my middle as I fought against his hold. "I'll deal with this one, you just get what you came for."

The two Death Eaters seemed to hesitate. And then deciding I wasn't worth the bother, nodded and dragged Luna out through the train door, her screams piercing the air.

Draco refused to let go of me until the train started up again.

"You bastard!" I screamed, turning around to pummel him in the chest. "How could you let them just take her like that?!"

He grabbed my wrists, preventing me from hitting him further.

"Damn it, Neve!" he growled, his face pinched in fury as his grey eyes flashed down into mine. "You don't get it, they would have been sent here specifically to get her. They would never have left this train empty handed, not when the consequence would be death."

"But what do they want with her?" I cried, tears rolling down my cheeks.

Draco shook his head sadly down at me before pulling me into his embrace as I sobbed into his chest. I suddenly felt terrified and clung to him, feeling grateful that he wasn't in his Death Eater get up.

He was just my Draco in a suit and that was how I loved him best.

"It'll be okay, Neve," he murmured into my hair, tightening his arms around me. "Just promise me you won't do anything stupid over the next two weeks. It's going to kill me worrying about you."

"I promise," I mumbled into his now wet shirt. "I wouldn't put Trevor's life in danger."

His chest shook against my cheek as he let out a soft chuckle. "Oh god how I miss that little dude. You won't forget to give him my present, will you?"

And despite the horror of just witnessing Luna getting dragged from the train, I couldn't help but feel a warmth in my heart as I thought about the large box of Every Flavoured Beans sitting in my trunk, lovingly wrapped by Draco.

"Of course I won't," I whispered.

I was determined that in these dark times, Trevor would have the best Christmas ever.

*****